Please look at my diary for today

I looked at your 1500 cal day and then looked at one of my 1200 cal days and wait til you see how much food is 1200 cal if you choose healthier choices ! My code is 1234. I do the zig zag method and I exercise ALOT .... So don't compare anything else ... just look at 1/16/2012 for an idea of how much food can fill you up on less calories. I also have 1500 cal days and 1800 cal days. Hope this gives you some sort of insight as to what helps keep your belly satisfied !

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/laney540?date=2012-01-16#

Hello! I would agree with previous comments in that you are carb heavy so I would definitely say be sure to add more protein - try and add protein to each meal. Try greek yogurt, almonds, pistachios, chicken breast, tofu, etc. Also, beans, lentils, legumes are good sources of protein as well as fiber. Speaking of fiber, I would suggest adding a little more. Also, packaged and more processed foods tend to have more calories. Definitely work more fruits and vegetables into your diet - as with protein try to have fruit and/or vegetables with each meal. If you want, I can share my diary with you. By adding protein with each meal plus fruits and vegetables,my meals are very filling - all on 1600 calories per day.

i agree w the more protein but sometime i still feel hungry especially earlier in the day and i find that if i drink a cup of coffee or hot tea that will curb my appetite but i only have that once a day so if i get hungry again i will just down a bottle of water and that holds me longer

I feel you on having a hard time with lunches! Where I work, there are no microwaves available, and often not even a fridge, so it makes eating healthy a challenge. To give you some ideas, I really like the Starkist tuna packs. Really easy, high protein, and they are already drained so I can eat it straight from the package. I also pack fresh fruits, nuts, and recently I've been on a Wheat Thins kick (the 100% whole grain, reduced fat. They are actually rather sweet, so I often save them for "dessert"). If you have access to a fridge, greek yogurt (Chobani is my favorite brand), string cheese, beans, etc are good. PB&J can live without a fridge, and the PB will help keep you fuller longer.

All of these can be eaten quickly. A handful of nuts is easily eaten on the go!

I would say you definitely need more protein. I would say that you could add some cheese. I find that the string cheese (skim based) is a good grab and go option. Chobani is great! You could also add a handful of nuts like almonds or pistachios. Sometimes when I'm super hungry I need to add a little bit of healthy fat like avocado.

Good luck!

The types of carbs you are eating increase your glycemic index creating more hunger because of the insulin production needed to support it. Balance whole grains with fiber and lean protein...they bind together to make you fuller longer. Also more veggies will help too.

Yep yep, more protein less SIMPLE carbs. If you're going to eat carbs, say pasta for instance, make sure it is the whole wheat kind. This will add a lot more fiber to your diet and help you stay full longer. Oh, and of course, try to eat a good protein with it. I do like the protein shakes. I use them mainly after workouts but occasionally when I didn't get enough protein in for the day, I'll mix one up with milk and whala...good protein, about 23 grams or more (depending on which powder you buy) with one cup of fat free milk...and that totals only about 190 calories for me. But it's 190 cal's that my body can use.

I find I can get my protien in if I drink EAS CArb control Protiern Drinks, 110 cal, 17 g of protien. I love the dark chocolate.

Wow, I am so overwhelmed by all this help!!!! Thank you all so much!!! I can't say enough how awesome this site is.

I have noticed that the days that I eat all non-processed food, I'm not as hungry. It's just hard when I'm trying to get 2 kids out the door, and I have limited time to eat at work (I'm a medical assistant, so I don't get a lot of down time). I'm definitely struggling to get good, wholesome food packed and set to go for the day.

I'm still reading through everything, you all have so many great ideas....but definitely will be trying to get more protein in!!!

Yes this is a great place for such things. Here's a little more advice: try cooking turkey breast on the weekend and slice it as thin as yu can and pack in snack size baggies (1/2 way filled) you can do the same with chicken breasts, boneless/skinless of course. Now you have snacks on the go. Do the same with whole almonds, even popcorn precooked the night befor and put in snack size baggies. The main thing is to try to eat small through out the day and taking snack size baggies filled with "good food" including carrots, celery, etc. will do the trick. Good luck you'll get it down.:flowerforyou:

The only thing I noticed that you do differently than I do is that you seem to eat a lot of simple carbs: pasta, crackers (crisps) etc. These simple carbs don't fill me up, at least not for long. Besides, they add a ton of calories to my day. So in my mind, the calories they cost me is not worth the mileage I get from them. I agree that having a bit more protein may work as well, but I think adding complex carbs, like vegetables, would work better.

Personally, what works best for me is to look at my plate and divide it into thirds: 1/3 for whole grains AND protein and 2/3 for veggies and fruit. I don't eat much processed food. If it comes in a box or has a label, I mostly don't eat it. There are exceptions, but I read labels religiously. If I cannot pronounce the words in the ingredient list, or they don't represent a real food, I don't buy them. Processed foods are very convenient, but they have a ton of hidden calories and salt, among other unpronounceable chemicals.

I try my best to eat natural foods. It take planning and forces me to take care of myself. The best part about eating 2/3 plate of veggies at each meal is that vegetables have so few calories, and I can eat enough that they really fill me up. when I am eating on my food plan, I am never hungry.

I don't always accomplish it, but I try to have a huge salad at either lunch or dinner every day. For that salad, I fill my plate up with baby greens or romaine lettuce (about 2 cups) then I add 1 whole chopped tomato, 1/2 c. chopped carrots, 1 stalk of celery chopped, 1/3 c. chopped red bell peppers, and 1 c. purple cabbage. I add other things sometimes as well, but this one is my tried and true. Then I top veggies with 4 oz of chicken breast or tuna or salmon, and add 2 T. of my salad dressing. The whole meal is always less than 400 calories, and most often less than 300, depending on the dressing I use. And it fills me up!

So if you are still hungry, eating lots of vegetables (especially a huge salad) will definitely give you more bang for your calories.